Families

Fall is in full swing and Halloween and Thanksgiving are both right around the corner. All across the First Coast Halloween haunting, trick or treat attractions, and harvest themed fall festivals are geared up for the festivities.

If you are looking for a way to get out and enjoy the fall weather and festivities there is something here for everyone. With so many Halloween Events and Fall Festivals happening across the First Coast this weekend and through the end of October, there are too many to keep up with and list. This is a run down of a few of the many events across the area.

There are plenty of events and fun activities for the whole family in many locations. From trick-or-treating, to kids events and petting zoos, haunted houses and spooky mazes, to traditional pumpkin patch and hay ride fun, there is plenty of fun fall activities for all to enjoy.

If you are involved in a crash, who would you want police to notify? In Florida, residents have the ability to make that decision before an emergency strikes. To date, more than 5 million Floridians have registered their emergency contacts with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Gov. Rick Scott signed a proclamation to name Oct. 2 - 8, 2011, Register Your Emergency Contact Information Week in Florida, and DHSMV is teaming up with the Division of Emergency Management to encourage all Floridians to register their contacts.

A Bank of America Corp. spokeswoman says customers will only be charged the fee if they use their debit cards for purchases in any given month. Customers won't be charged if they only use their cards at an ATM.

WHAT: This month, seniors and boomers around the country are celebrating living longer, fuller lives by making proactive changes in their lifestyles in order to stay healthy as aging occurs. To assist them with these healthy choices, the Jacksonville Florida Blue center invites local seniors and their families to its free Health Seminar observing Senior Wellness Month on September 10.

As we all know on the First Coast, Hurricane Season is WELL under way!

With Tropical Storm Irene intensifying extremely rapidly and making it's was towards the Caribbean with it's projected path towards Florida, it is time to start thinking about YOUR HURRICANE SAFETY PLAN.

It is never to late to make preparations, no matter how big or small. Whether you plan to Evacuate, or stay home and "Ride Out The Storm" as locals would say, simple things can be done to prepare for a storm and keep yourself and your loved ones safe and as comfortable as possible in these conditions.

On August 17, 2011 Haleigh Cummings would have celebrated her 8th birthday!

In loving memory her mother, Crystal Sheffield, and other local supporters gathered in the center of Downtown Palatka encouraging anyone and everyone to pull over and release a balloon in honor of sweet Haleigh's 8th Birthday.

Later that evening Haleigh sent a sign from above that she appreciated the birthday balloons, with a colorful rainbow.

As the U.S. keeps a close eye on the stock market; CareerBuilder’s survey shows the financial situation for some households is improving. Forty-two percent of workers say they usually or always live paycheck to paycheck, an improvement from 43 percent in 2010 and in line with levels seen back in 2007. The number of workers who have missed a bill payment has decreased year-over-year; one-in-five (20 percent) say they have missed payments on bills in the last year, slightly improved from 22 percent at this time last year. This is according to a new nationwide survey of more than 5,200 workers by CareerBuilder that was conducted from May 18 to June 3, 2011.